Megyn Kelly urges Donald Trump to RETURN to the Republican debate stage in Alabama because ‘he’s TV gold’ and their dynamic ‘works’ – and slams NBC for not letting Vivek respond to Haley calling him ‘scum’
Megyn Kelly says “TV gold” Donald Trump will be happy to return to the Republican debate stage to shake up the momentum among the 2024 GOP candidates after a series of “disappointing” previous debates.
Kelly, along with NewsNation’s Elizabeth Vargas and Washington Free Beacon editor-in-chief Eliana Johnson, will moderate the fourth Republican primary debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Wednesday.
In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, she revealed that while she hasn’t directly approached Trump about his participation, he knows she “would love” to have him there.
“Trump is television gold, not just ratings gold – yes, that’s a given. He’s a performer. He is a born artist. And there’s a reason why people can’t take their eyes off him when he walks into a room, when he gets in front of the lens… so of course I’d love to be part of any television program that features him in reverse. the end,” she explained.
Trump has decided to skip the entire GOP primary debate because he is so far ahead in the polls. But last month the US Secret Service conducted a sweep of the site of the next presidential debate in Alabama, hinting at Trump’s possible return to action.
In 2016, then-Fox News host Kelly got into a fight with Trump during a televised match when he was asked about his previous misogynistic comments.
Nearly eight years later, there is a “tense but respectful but borderline dynamic” between her and Trump that works well on television, which is why Kelly is “hoping” Trump will show up in Alabama “for fun.”
In 2016, then-Fox News host Kelly confronted Trump during a televised match when he was asked about his previous misogynistic comments.
Chris Wallace, Megyn Kelly and Bret Baier at the start of a 2016 debate hosted by Fox News
“It would be a gift for viewers and voters who will be (voting) six weeks later in Iowa. But I wouldn’t put money into it,” she told DailyMail.com.
The stage will be the smallest in the 2024 primary race, with qualifiers including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also qualified for the debate at the last minute.
The trio of female moderators plan to set their debate apart from the previous three by giving candidates the opportunity to debate without interruption.
Kelly said she plans to have a “real debate” between the candidates and not turn the evening into just a “nationally televised interview.”
At a previous debate hosted by NBC Miami’s Lester Holt and Kristen Welker, she said, “Every time the debate played out on stage, the moderators shut it down.” Not only did they not contribute to it, but they seemed to be afraid of it.”
“I don’t care what the moderators think is important. I care about what candidates think is important,” Kelly added.
Wednesday’s moderators will take a different approach after the “incredibly disappointing” last debate.
“If we do our job correctly and the way we plan to do it, you will hear a lot more from them than from us.”
In Miami, Ramaswamy brought daughter Haley into the conversation, noting that she was a TikTok user during the heated debate over which candidates do and don’t want to ban the Chinese social media app.
“Don’t talk about my daughter,” Haley said in response. “You’re just a creep.”
Kelly said Holt and Welker unfortunately “dampened” the tense moment.
“They didn’t give him a chance to respond. And they pretend that this didn’t happen. Who, who in the history of debate moderation, would ignore such a moment?” she asked.
A pipe dream? The construction of the set at the site of the fourth presidential debate shows plans to build five lecterns – enough to accommodate Donald Trump as well as the four leading candidates.
Former President Donald Trump gained nearly 50 percentage points in the polls while missing the debates he used to rise to the top of the polls in 2016.
Co-moderator Elizabeth Vargas of NewsNation told DailyMail.com her goal is to have a debate where viewers won’t want to turn off the TV – as she said she wanted to do during the long periods of cross-talk in the second debate.
“We intend to moderate this debate with a firm and steady hand,” Vargas said in an exclusive look at the preparations for the fourth event. “People will not be allowed to talk over each other.”
Kelly also said Vargas, Johnson and herself plan to include topics not previously covered in previous debates.
It was a “gold mine” for us, she says.
As for whether Kelly would ever consider returning to television, she told DailyMail.com “no.”
“I have repeatedly received offers to return to television, but I have rejected them all. I really like what I’m doing now. I’m my own boss. I don’t have anyone who exercises editorial control over me. And frankly, there would be no one who could exercise editorial control over me in a way that I was comfortable with.”
She said she felt free to have no “corporate loyalty” and could control the topics of her interviews.